1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for replacing a cloth roller with another one in a loom, and more particularly to a device for automatically removing a cloth roller on which a predetermined amount of a woven cloth has been wound to be replaced with an empty cloth roller.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto a mechanism for allowing a cloth roller to be removed from a loom has been proposed and put into practical use as disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 61-23061. This mechanism is effective for replacing the cloth roller filled with a wound woven cloth with an empty or new cloth roller. In this mechanism, one end shaft section of the cloth roller is engaged with a rotatable drive shaft which is driven from a loom main shaft under frictional force transmission, while the other end shaft section is rotatably supported by a stationary member. Accordingly, the cloth roller is driven to rotate under rotation of the rotatable drive shaft.
Although the rotatable drive shaft is rotatably supported relative to a loom frame, it cannot be axially moved. Consequently in order to set the cloth roller in position in the loom, the end shaft section of the cloth roller is fitted with the rotatable drive shaft, and thereafter a cylindrical coupling member is used to commonly surround them. In order to remove the cloth roller from the loom, the cylindrical coupling is axially slidably moved out of the engaging section thereby disconnecting the cloth roller end shaft section from the rotatable drive shaft.
Thus, during installing and removal of the cloth roller, troublesome operations such as moving the coupling member and fitting the cloth roller end shaft section to the groove of the rotatable drive shaft are required. Such troublesome operations are carried out manually by an operator, thereby lowering operational efficiency in weaving a cloth.